Love and Pastries
by The Tainted Angel of Earth
Summary: Yumi Oomura had simply wanted a parttime job to earn some spending money. But what she didn't count on finding, in addition to the cash, was someone to love. But will he return the love that she holds so dear for him? Yumi x Ueda fanfic.
1. New Job

"Just like I predicted, another gorgeous day!"

The young brunette exclaimed as she lifted her gaze to the clear blue sky. Yumi Oomura, age seventeen, stepped outside and began walking down the streets of Tokyo. She looked about her surroundings from time to time, taking in the scenery although she took walks every day. She usually took a standard route, through the shopping district near her house, but the people, sights, and sounds seemed to be different every day. Humming a little tune she had made up, Yumi began her walk, not knowing that this day would be the start of a new chapter in her life.

"Hello Yumi! How are you doing today?" Called out the owner of the nearby bookstore. He set down the broom he had been sweeping the door mat with, and waved to Yumi who waved back with a smile.

"Hello Mr. Takahashi! I'm doing well, thank you."

She waved again in farewell, and continued her walk down the street, occasionally greeting shopowners, sometimes stopping to look at the various merchandise. She walked by a small pastry shop by the name of Chiroru Bakery, but then paused and turned back to it. A sign was leaning against the wall outside of the entrance, and upon looking at it, Yumi saw it said "Help Wanted".

"Hmm…" Mumbled Yumi to herself. "I could always use some extra money…I wonder if the manager would hire me?" And, deciding it wouldn't hurt to find out, the tinkling of the bell above the door sounded as she entered the small shop.

"Welcome to Chiroru Bakery! We promise the finest cakes and pastries you could ever hope for in Tokyo. How can I help you?" Called a voice from the counter. Yumi turned, and saw an older man behind the counter who was smiling at her. He appeared to be about six or so feet, had a soft face, short brown hair and a kind smile. Yumi felt herself go slightly red for a split second, for her first impression of him was that he was VERY handsome. She then shook herself mentally, and walked over to the counter as she returned the smile. "Hello. My name is Yumi Oomura. I saw your sign outside, and I was wondering, at what age do you start hiring?" The man smiled. "Ah, interested in working here? I start hiring at sixteen, and if you're that age I'd love to have you!" Yumi nodded happily as she said, "Actually I'm seventeen! Would you be willing to hire me?"

"Of course!" He said as he gestured to the back room. "My name is Hiroyasu Ueda. If you could step back here with me, we could have a quick interview." Yumi nodded, and followed him to the back room. She emerged about ten minutes later with Mr. Ueda, having successfully completed and passed the interview. "Thank you very much Miss Oomura. If you could fill out this paperwork, would you like to start work on Monday?"

Yumi took the papers from his hand, and nodded with a smile and a bow. "Thank you Mr. Ueda! I'll be here on Monday, and thank you again!" He nodded and waved as Yumi left the store, the small bell ringing as the door shut behind her.


	2. First Day

In no way, shape, or form do I own any of the characters in this story! Chobits is a beautiful manga and anime created by Clamp, and I am simply writing my own interpretation of Yumi and Ueda's relationship.

And thus begins the second chapter! I've always loved the Yumi and Ueda pairing from Chobits, and I decided to take a stab at fanfic'ing! (That's not a word, is it? No…no it's not…laugh) Anyway, I'd love it if anyone who reads this would review it for me because I'm new at this. For a little side info, for the sake of the story's pace, Yumi won't be attending school, and she will be living by herself. We'll just say her parents are sending her money through the mail, and she still keeps in touch with them although she is living on her own. In apology for the short first chapter, here's the longer 2nd chapter! So without further ado, the second installment!

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Love and Pastries: "The First Day"

Monday dawned bright and early the following week. Yumi awoke to the sound of a sparrow singing outside of her window, and groggily sat up to close the blinds. She was NOT a morning person. She stood up from the futon where she had been so peacefully sleeping, and reached for the watch lying on her nightstand.

"Ten 'til nine…." She muttered to herself in a sleepy haze. But then she snapped out of her tired stupor. "Ten 'til nine! Oh no! Mr. Ueda told me to be at the shop at nine! I'M GONNA BE LATE!" Yumi went into a frenzied rush about her room, trying to get dressed, put on her makeup, brush her hair, and grab her purse all at the same time. She was furiously trying to fit her purse onto her foot, before she realized it wasn't her black shoe. Blushing at her lapse of intelligence, Yumi finally got all the clothes on the proper parts of her body, and headed out the door. Today's outfit included a black, knee-length skirt, white calf-high shocks with her black dress shoes, and a tan peasant top with red ribbon accenting the midriff and the cuffs of the sleeves. She looked quite adorable, but that wasn't the sort of thing she admitted to herself. Yumi dashed out the door, her brown purse swinging behind her as she rushed towards the shopping district.

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"My goodness Yumi, you're first day and you decided to be late?" Said Manager Ueda, laughing as he looked at the disheveled Yumi who had just walked in. Yumi went a shade of red that the ripest of tomatoes would envy, and walked over to the counter, head hung low.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Ueda. I completely forgot to set my alarm, it's all my fault." She said, a little out of breath from running the entire way. The manager simply laughed with a wave of his hand.

"Don't worry about it! I've overslept quite a few times myself, it's a natural error. Just do try to set your alarm in the future though, alright?"

As he said this, Yumi noticed something strange. Although Mr. Ueda was smiling the entire time he was speaking, his smile did not reach to his eyes. He had a beautiful smile, but his eyes seemed, well, _sad._ Yumi all of a sudden found herself wondering why his eyes looked so cold and hurt, although he put on an air of good-natured happiness. _"I wonder what happened to him." _She thought to herself, _"Or am I just imagining things?"_ But she snapped herself back to reality as she heard him cease talking, and nodded. "Yes sir, it won't happen again. So, what would you like me to start with?"

"Well, at least you're eager to begin!" Said Ueda with a small laugh. "Well, because there aren't any customers at the moment, I could begin teaching you how to make some of my delicious cupcakes. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great sir! Where should we begin?"

"Well, let's go back to the kitchen, and I'll show you how to make magic in the kitchen." Ueda said with a wink and a smile as he turned and headed back into the kitchen. Yumi blushed, but fortunately for her Ueda hadn't noticed, so she followed behind him, slapping herself mentally. _"Yumi you idiot, it's just his personality. Why on earth would someone like him feel anything for a new part-timer?_" She put on an apron after Ueda, and, still chiding herself silently, began taking out pans and spoons in preparation for pastry making.

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"All in all, that was a great first day!" Said Yumi as she flicked on the light to her apartment and entered after taking off her shoes. After learning the cupcake recipe and making a few batches (Ueda was right; they _were_ delicious!), Yumi had taken some cake orders from customers, and done a bit of mopping, all the while chatting away with Manager Ueda. She had told him about her parents, and how she lived by herself while her mother and father were still in the Nagasaki region. Along with that, she had mentioned her persocom Hiro, and a few childhood memories that came to mind as she was baking. Ueda in turn had told her about when he had first opened the shop, some funny stories about baking accidents, and his regular customers who Yumi should learn to recognize soon. Yumi put a small package on the kitchen counter (they had made a lot of cupcakes, and Mr. Ueda had let her take home a few), and then sat down in front of the television. A young man with shoulder-length brown hair tied back in a pony tail, green eyes, and a slim figure walked over, and stood in the doorway. "Miss Yumi?" He said, "Did you enjoy your first day at your new job?" Yumi looked up and smiled at her persocom.

"Hello Hiro! Yes, it was very nice. Mr. Ueda is a very kind man. Oh, did you send my letter to the post office?"

"Yes I did ma'am. Is there anything you would like for me to do?" He said with a bow of the head. Yumi shook her head, and patted the couch cushion next to her. "No thanks Hiro, but would you like to watch some television with me?"

"Of course Miss Yumi." The persocom smiled and walked over, sitting on the couch next to his owner. Yumi smiled, and reached for the remote.

"_Yes," _She thought to herself as she curled up the couch and turned on the set, _"I think I'm really going to like working there." _

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And thus ends the second chapter! And just so everyone knows, Hiro is a semi-made up character. In the manga, Yumi mentions having a male-shaped persocom before her rabbit shaped one, and I decided now should be the time that she has it. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Love and Pastries, and please send me reviews, comments, corrections, or anything! Until next time!

The Tainted Angel of Earth


	3. Is Age Just A Number?

I apologize for my lack of updates, but I just started my second semester of my sophomore year in high school, so things have been just a bit hectic for me around here. I wanted to send out a special thank you to my first reviewer, **_funvice_! **To be honest, I had no idea that anyone was reading this storyline, so it really meant a lot to me. :) If anyone else has tips, questions, comments, praises, criticism, or anything of the sort, I would love to hear it! I can always use advice. And also, if anyone wishes to see an actual picture of Yumi in her uniform, you can check it out in the 6th volume of the Chobits manga. I'm not very good at describing clothing, so my apoligies if it's difficult to comprehend what it looks like for those of you who have never read the books. Well, I think I need to shut up now and get onto the story. So without further babbling, part three!

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Love and Pastries- Part Three: "Is Age just a Number?"

Some weeks passed, and Yumi continued working at the Chiroru Bakery. She came to love working with Mr. Ueda, and would rush to the small shop after school rather than hang out with friends. She continued to learn recipes for different pastries, and loved every minute of it. One day, after she finished taking an order for a cake from a customer, Mr. Ueda approached her with a sort of embarrassed smile on his face.

"Hello Mr. Ueda!" Said Yumi with a smile as she turned to face him.

"Hello Yumi-chan," He said, returning the smile. As he spoke, he brought forth a package from behind his back and presented it to Yumi.

"I only realized yesterday that, even though you have been working for me for almost two months now, I haven't given you your uniform. I apologize for it being so late, but here you are".

Yumi was taken aback for a moment, for she had never thought that she would have to wear a uniform, or that her manager would supply it for her. But then she smiled at Mr. Ueda's kindness, and accepted the package.

"Thank you very much Mr. Ueda! Should I change in the back?"

With a nod from Ueda, which signified a yes, Yumi turned and headed to the back room. The young brunette closed the door behind her, and opened the package. Inside were some layers of tissue papers, and Yumi pulled them apart and lifted the uniform from its container. It was a style extremely similar to that of a French maid uniform, but not quite as risqué. The outfit consisted of a black dress with a frilled white bust and a black ribbon going across it, a white apron with lace trimming, white thigh-high socks also with lace trimming and a black ribbon, and an adorable frilled white headband. Yumi changed out of the clothes she was wearing, and put on the new outfit. There was a mirror in the back room, and Yumi looked at herself in the outfit for a few minutes. She looked quite lovely, though she didn't want to admit it, but something was missing. After pondering for a few moments more, it clicked. She reached up, and took out one of the black ribbons she had had in her hair, and tied it around her neck in a thin choker. _"There,"_ she thought to herself as she put on her shoes, _"Now I look pretty darn cute"_. At the same time, Yumi couldn't help but find herself wondering as she headed back to the store if Mr. Ueda would think the same thing.

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"Y-Yumi!" Exclaimed Mr. Ueda from behind the register as she emerged from the back room,

"You- I- that- oh man, I mean, that uniform looks great on you!"

Yumi gave an embarrassed giggle, and did a little spin, the apron ribbon swirling behind her. "You really think so?"

"Heh, I do. Do you like it?"

"I do! And I think it goes with the look of the shop, for some odd reason. Anyway, what can I get started with, Mr. Ueda?"

The boyish-looking shopkeeper laughed, and shook his head. "You know Yumi-chan, you've been working here long enough that you don't have to be so formal. I'd be fine if you called me Hiroyasu".

Yumi's eyes widened, and she shook her head rapidly. "Oh no, no! I could never do that! You're my boss, of course I should call you Mr. Ueda!"

He smiled again, and cocked his head to the side. "Well, I guess you can call me whatever you want. I just wanted to let you know that I wouldn't be insulted! Now then, I do need your help over here".

Yumi nodded and walked behind the counter to the register. As soon as she looked at the rather long trail of paper falling from the printed and down to the tiled floor she knew why she was needed. Hiroyasu Ueda, although exceptionally gifted when it came to baking, was a horrible mathematician. Apparantly he had been attempting to come up with the total cost of three cakes, a preorder on a shipment of pies, and catering for a customer. But, alas, he had been working over the figures for quite some time, and still hadn't come up with a solution.

"As soon as I realized that sales tax came into the equation, I gave up. Would you mind, Yumi-chan?" He said, blushing in embarrassment.

Yumi giggled. _"He's so cute when he gets all embarrassed,"_ she thought to herself as she moved forward to the register. But then she noticed something strange that she had never given thought to before.

"Mr. Ueda," She said as she looked at the register then at her manager, a confused expression on her face, "I know that this bakery makes a good amount of money. I'm more than happy to do the calculations, but for the times that I'm on shift, or if I ever stopped working here, why don't you just buy a persocom? It wouldn't be that difficult to get a hold of a fairly priced one".

Ueda looked up, and for a moment a glimmer of sadness could be seen behind his eyes. But then he smiled and shook his head, and it was gone. "No," He said, his voice a bit hoarser than it had been a moment ago, "Call me old fashioned, but I never really got the hang of those things. Anyway, at least for now I have your brains!"

Yumi smiled and turned back to the register, and with a slight blush on her cheeks began reworking the calculations on the sheet.

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"Hey Hiro?" Yumi called out to her persocom later that night at her apartment.

"Yes Yumi-san?" Said the tall computer, walking into the room and handing his mistress the soda she had asked for a moment ago.

"I was just wondering…" Yumi began, accepting the soda with a thanks. "D-do you think that I'm…er- _cute?_"

Hiro looked down at his mistress with a confused expression on his face, and sat down on the couch next to her. "Yumi-san, I may just be a computer, but my processor tells me that you are very good-looking for someone of your age and gender. And yes, you are cute" He said in a matter-of-fact voice, "May I inquire as to what brought this up?"

Yumi was blushing intensely as she looked ahead, and hugged the pillow she was holding in front of her tighter, and stuttered, "Oh, -er, it's nothing, I was just curious. Well, actually…" She lifted her head and turned to look at Hiro. "Hiro…do you think that age is just a number?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're asking. Age is a number used to signify how long a person has been alive, so in that sense, yes it's a number. But again, why do you ask?"

Yumi looked down, still hugging the pillow as she reached for the remote. "Well…because…I think I'm in love with a pastry chef".

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And there you have it, chapter three! Poor Yumi, I know I would be super-confused if I was in her shoes too. Well, I suppose we're just going to have to see where her acknowledgement of her feelings takes here, now aren't we? Again, sorry for the lapse in updates, but I'll try to have the next one up soon. Thanks to the people who read this story (If any, haha), and I'll see you next time!

The Tainted Angel of Earth


	4. Behind His Eyes

Not much to say, except that this will be a short chapter, because I'm suffering from writer's block. Oh, and also, a special thank you to my second reviewer, **_TimeIncursion_**! He's writing a great fic about Chobits as well, so any fans should go and check it out! Well then, on to part four!

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Chapter Four: "Behind His Eyes"

"-mi? Yumi-san? Yumi-san, you need to wake up".

The tired seventeen-year old rolled over in her futon, and looked up to see a pair of green eyes covered by glasses, which was her persocom kneeling next to her with his hand shaking her shoulder.

"Yumi-san, please, it's really about time you should be getting up. Your shift at the bakery starts at eleven o'clock, correct?"

Yumi let out an incoherent grumble, and reached over for her alarm clock. "Hiiirrooo….it's nine thirty!"

"That may be true, Yumi-san," Hiro began in a matter-of-fact voice, "But that doesn't automatically mean that you should be asleep. You were up late last night, and if you had slept in too late this morning, you would have risked being late for your job, as well as ensuring a difficult time getting to sleep tonight".

It was true, Yumi had been up late the previous night.

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FLASHBACK TO NIGHT BEFORE

"Well…because…I think I'm in love with a pastry chef".

Yumi now gazed intently at the remote, as though she was searching for the power button, although it was the obvious large red one at that top. Hiro allowed himself a small smile as he reached forward and took the remote gently from his mistress.

"Yumi-san, it turns on by pressing this button," He said as he indicated the button. He then turned to look Yumi in the eye, who had reluctantly shifted her gaze to him. "But I don't belive you need the television at this moment. Would you like to talk about what is bothering you?"

Yumi sighed, and nodded her head meekly.

"Well then, I would be more than happy to listen, and give any advice that I can. When you said that you…loved a pastry chef, did you mean your manager Ueda-san?"

Again, Yumi nodded. A look of sadness was flashed in the persocom's eyes, but only for a moment before he gave a comforting smile. Hiro reached up, took off his glasses, and set them on the coffee table in front of the sofa before continuing. Yumi was again hugging the pillow to her chest and bent over, her knees pressed up against the pillow so that it covered her features from the bottom of her nose down to her stomach.

"Perhaps if we talked about him, you could explain your feelings better. What are some things you like about him? What was it like when you first met him?"

Though half of her face was covered by the blue pillow, Hiro could tell that Yumi's expression had softened when Mr. Ueda was brought up. "By the change in your attitude, I can assume that you had a good first impression?"

Yumi nodded, and lowered the pillow as she finally began to speak.

"Well…the first thing I remember is how kind he seemed to be. He didn't ask for a filled out application, then have me come back a few days later, and then finally hire me. He just interviewed me right on the spot, and he seemed like he would have given anyone a chance. He looks so young…but he told me he just turned thirty-nine a few weeks before I had started working there. He had such a beautiful smile, and such kind eyes…but there's something strange about them".

"Strange?" Asked Hiro.

Yumi nodded.

"Yes, strange. He's always smiling, and laughing to himself, but that happiness doesn't seem to go far beyond his eyes. I mean, it's hard to explain, but it's like behind the layer of laughter that you can see, his eyes seem to be sad. And it was a little odd. This morning, when I was working on a tab for a customer, I asked why he didn't have a persocom.

I mean, it's logical, and surely he could afford it. And even if he has troubles with technology, there are manuals and others sources that could help him if he ever had problems with one. But…as soon as I mentioned it, his eyes seemed to sort of glaze over with sadness although he still had a small smile, and he simply said he never got the hang of them. I don't know, I just think it was odd".

"That is a little strange, but I wouldn't give it too much thought Yumi-san. Now then, would you like to watch some anime while we continue this discussion?"

Yumi nodded, and from around ten at night until three or four in the morning, she and her persocom sat in the living room, watching the television and talking about Mr. Ueda.

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BACK IN PRESENT

"Yes Hiro, I know I stayed up late…but it doesn't change the fact that you're being mean!"

Hiro smiled as he stood and headed out of the room.

"I apologize Yumi-san, but it was for the best. Now then, I will have breakfast ready in a few moments, so do try to get up?"

The girl nodded, and after finally getting up and folding up her futon, she walked out of her room and into the small apartment kitchen. After eating breakfast and helping Hiro clean the kitchen, it was already 10:30, and time for Yumi to start getting ready. She put on her uniform, and gave Hiro a quick hug before heading out the door. Hiro smiled and waved his mistress off, before closing the door, his happy expression now replaced by a mysterious hurt one.

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Well, that ends chapter four! Poor Hiro, I've already fallen in love with him. I wonder what's bothering him so much? Well, this time I had a quicker update, and it's a bit of a short one, but I have a little more homework to do before I head off to bed, so see you next time!

The Tainted Angel of Earth


	5. Frigid Embarassment

Chapter Five: "Frigid Embarrassment"

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"Let's see….chocolate…strawberry…cherry…aha! Vanilla!"

Yumi reached out happily and retrieved the package of vanilla ice cream on the shelf in front of her. An order for an ice-cream cake for a wedding had just been requested, and Yumi had gone into the walk-in freezer to retrieve the creamy treat. She opened the door, and walked out, her breath leaving momentary clouds of white behind her.

"Mr. Ueda! I have the ice cream for you!" She called out, emerging from the back kitchen to behind the counter where the older man was.

"Ah, thank you Yumi-chan. If you would, could you put it in the freezer in the back, and then get me some frozen strawberries from the walk-in?"

Yumi nodded, and turned back around into the kitchen. She opened the door of the regular-sized refrigerator, and placed the bucket of vanilla ice-cream inside. She then turned around, closed the door and headed back to the walk-in freezer in the back of the storage room.

The layout of the store was very simple. The front entrance led into what was known as the "display room", where the menus of what sort of pastries were sold were shown, examples of various treats were on display, and where a customer could order and pay for whatever they desired.

Behind the desk with the cash register was a silver double-hinged door which led into the kitchen. The kitchen was colored with white counters and cupboards, white walls with a blue trim around the edges, and a white and blue tiled floor. After walking through the kitchen, another door led into the back room, which was filled with the ingredients for all the desserts, such as flour, sugar, and mixes for icing, as well as two regular-sized refrigerator and freezer sets.

Finally, at the end of the back room was a silver door with a pull-handle, which led into a lit freezer that was about the size of a standard walk-in closet. This freezer contained frozen fruit, ice cream, milk, candies, and similar items used to make pastries at the shop.

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The walk-in freezer was always a little intimidating to Yumi because, when a person walked in, the door would close behind them, leaving them in a freezing and enclosed environment until they pushed the door open and walked out. But she had done it so many times, that her fear of the oversized appliance had abated for the most part.

"Alright, we need strawberries for the cake…and I should probably put a new gallon of milk in the refrigerator for when it's needed…"

Yumi mumbled to herself as she opened the door. A gust of cold air passed over her as the ventilation system noisily circulated air throughout the small room. She shivered slightly, her forgotten fear of the freezer surfacing as she stepped inside.

"Get a hold of yourself girl," she chastised herself, "You've done this a million times."

Her eyes scanned the upper shelves as the door closed behind her. Normally, the top shelves would contain the frozen fruit, the ice cream cartons would be on the shelves below, the milk below that, and the buckets of ice cream would be on the ground next to the stacked boxes of the pre-packaged candy. But the bulk of the boxes often blocked the top shelf from her very-petite view, as was the case today.

"Crap…" Yumi muttered to herself, brushing a lock of auburn hair behind her ear as her breath turned white before her eyes. "I'll have to move these boxes before I'll be able to find the strawberries."

Deciding that moving the ones closest to the door would be her best bet for improving her view of the fruits, the adolescent moved forward and reached for the highest box she could reach. But, due to the cold temperature, or to the fact she had been working for six hours already, it didn't cross the girl's mind that pulling the fifth box out of a stack of ten may not be such a good idea.

"Oof…stupid hard-to-grab cube…Okay, that's good, just a little bit more…almost got i- Aaaagh!"

When she succeeded in loosening the box, the other five on top of it rumbled ominously, and then crashed down on top of Yumi. She let out a cry of panic, but it was drowned in the sound of cardboard, concrete floor, and a girl in uniform all colliding violently. She felt the corner of a box of chocolate jab into her shoulder, but before she could register the shock of the pain, a box of jars of vanilla slammed into her bent-over back, knocking her to the ground as the glass bottles were released, smashing into a mixture of glass and liquid around her. Some shards of the glass hit her arms and legs, but she was unable to move, because two boxes were now on top of her legs.

Under normal circumstances, Yumi would have been able to move the boxes easily. But she was lying in a ten-degree room on her stomach, her head spinning from her sudden contact with the floor and little droplets of blood from the cuts of glass staining the concrete.

"Not good…" She whispered softly as her vision began to fog. Not only was it impossible to hear anything that happened in the walk-in freezer from the front desk, but how long would it take for Mr. Ueda to notice that Yumi was gone? Fear and paranoia now added themselves to her complicated mix of emotions, as she lay there, straining herself to get up or to at least stay conscious. The first was impossible, and the latter was becoming more and more difficult as the cold began to affect her after a few minutes.

"Mr….Ueda…h-help me…" She said in a cloud of white, before her consciousness finally drifted away.

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Oh ho ho, I'm so evil! I'm so sorry about my severe lack of updates, but I'll try to write more often for my two or three people who read this story! laughs Again, I apologize that chapter five took so long to get up, and about it's shortness, but that's all I have time for now. I'll resolve the freezer issue soon, so don't worry my dear children, the story has so much more to go! Fare thee well my dears,

The Tainted Angel Of Earth


	6. Rescue and Complications

Chapter Six: "Rescue and Complications"

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"-umi..."

_Uhhh…what's going on?... _

"Yumi-ch-…"

_I can't see anything…I can't breathe…_

"-chan?"

_I can't move my legs…or arms…_

"Oh God, Yumi!"

_Help…_

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The first thing that registered in Yumi's mind was total confusion. She opened her eyes groggily, to only be met with a sharp pain in her head as the bright overhead lights attacked her vision. She felt the pain second, and it was _everywhere_. And third to register was a beautiful voice lined with worry.

"Yumi-chan! Oh thank God, you're awake!"

A gentle hand rested on Yumi's shoulder, and she slowly looked up to have her gaze met by Mr. Ueda's concerned face. She was in the back kitchen area of the store, lying on the ground, her head resting on something soft.

One delayed moment later she realized what that "something" was.

"Ueda-san!" She exclaimed in shock as she shot up. Her employer had been sitting cross-legged on the tile floor, and her head had been lying in his lap. She turned beet-red with embarrassment, but before that emotion could increase, a searing pain shot across her body due to the sudden movement. Her face contorted with agony as her body protested to the action.

"Yumi-chan, please lie back down!" pleaded Ueda, tentatively reaching out his hand before drawing it back. "You had a terrible accident; you were unconscious when I found you!"

Yumi tried to respond, but the combination of the pain all over her body as well as the abruptness of her standing up caused her to become extremely light-headed. She wobbled, and fell forward, the tile floor rushing up to meet her.

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The petite girl heard her name shouted out, and felt a gentle arm around her waist, preventing her fall before she once again sank into blackness.

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"_Oomura residence, Hiro speaking."_

Ueda was greeted on the other end of the phone by a professional and detached voice that he knew could only belong to a persocom. He assumed this was Yumi's persocom that she had mentioned in passing, and proceeded to greet him.

"Good afternoon Hiro-san, this is Ueda from Chiroru Bakery."

"_A good afternoon to you as well, Ueda-san. May I inquire as to the reason for your call?"_

"It's actually about Yumi-chan. She was in the back of the store getting some strawberries from the walk-in freezer, and some heavy boxes and glass jars fell on her. I found her unconscious and bleeding on the cement floor."

"_Ueda-san, is she alright?" _the voice inquired, though it was laced with fear and concern. Ueda couldn't help but notice the change in Hiro's voice upon hearing the news.

"She woke up about ten minutes ago, but she blacked out after trying to stand too quickly. Her wounds have been bandaged, and she's lying down in the back. Would you mind coming to pick her up? I think she would recover more quickly at home than at the store."

"_I'm on my way."_ Said Hiro immediately, and a small click over the line let Ueda know Hiro had hung up.

Ueda sighed, and went back to the kitchenette. He had placed Yumi in a chair after her second blackout, and wrapped her in a blanket to keep her comfortable and warm. Her head drooped limply, and the older gentleman rushed forward and in one deft motion swept the sleeping girl into his arms. He walked back out front, and a few minutes later the bell over the door rang as Hiro entered the small shop. The persocom glanced about at his surroundings, but as soon as his emerald-green eyes spotted Yumi in Ueda's arms he quickly strode over to them.

"Yumi-san…" he murmured, brushing a strand of loose auburn hair out of Yumi's face. He gazed at her a moment before straightening to look at Ueda.

"I'll take her home Ueda-san, thank you for watching over her."

"No thanks are needed. Thank you for picking her up. And please call me when she wakes up, I want to know when she's alright."

Hiro nodded, a strange look in his eye that vanished in an instant to be replaced by a cool emotionless expression.

"Of course, good day to you Ueda-san."

Hiro leaned forward and gently gathered Yumi in his arms. He paused before the door, and turned around. He nodded to Ueda, his gaze showing the look that the chef couldn't comprehend, before he strode out of the shop, the swinging bell announcing his departure.

"Yumi-chan…" muttered Ueda, his head held in his hands in an expression of fatigue and worry. He lifted his head, Hiro's expression in his mind as he comprehended his gaze.

"Hiro…he looked…_jealous_?"

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And there we have chapter six! It's been so long since my last update, it took me a while to write this chapter since I had forgotten details! I'm so sorry about the lapse between chapters, and I'm going to try to update more often! But thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed, it's definitely appreciated! See you in chapter seven!

The Tainted Angel of Earth


	7. Tension and Computers

Hey all! It's **_Angel_** here! So chapter 7 is a bit short, writer's block is hitting me over the head with a giant mallet. But I'm going to try to update more frequently (ducks flying objects), so for now, here's "Tension and Computers"!

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Chapter Seven: "Tension and Computers"

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Hiro curled Yumi's still-unconscious body in one arm as he opened the door with his free hand. He entered the dark expanse of the unlit hallway, and immediately laid her down on the futon, a pillow under her head and a light blanket covering her thin form.

"Yumi-san…" he sighed, kneeling on the floor next to her. He leaned forward, and brushed another strand of hair from her face with as much tenderness as he had when in the bakery. Her eyelids flickered, and Hiro straightened as Yumi's eyes fluttered open.

"U-Ueda-san?" She groaned as her eyebrows furrowed at the sudden exposure to light. "Is that you?"

Hiro stood suddenly as he responded. "No, Yumi-san, it's Hiro. You're back home." His tone was slightly icy for some unknown reason.

"Oh, Hiro!" She sat up, rubbing her eye with the heel of her hand. "I…I passed out again…what happened?"

Hiro's eyes softened, and he knelt as he placed his hand on Yumi's back.

"You passed out for the second time, and Ueda-san called the house. I carried you from the store, and you've been unconscious for the last few minutes."

A slight blush crept across her face at the mention of her manager.

"Oh, thank you Hiro…you're so good to me." Hiro smiled in satisfaction. "Um…is Ueda-san alright?"

Hiro sighed, the smile slipping away. "He's fine, just concerned. I told him I'd call when you woke up."

"Oh alright, thank you Hiro. Um, if it's okay, can I call him and tell him myself?"

A sheepish smile was on her face, and Hiro melted whenever he held the gaze of those gorgeous brown eyes. "Of course, I'll be in the other room."

He turned and walked out, leaving Yumi sitting on a futon next to the phone. She picked it up and dialed the number for the bakery.

_**Brrrrnnnggg-**_

It rang once.

"_Chiroru Bakery, Ueda Hiroyasu speaking."_

"Ueda-san?" Yumi asked timidly, the realization that she was talking on the phone with the man she was in love with hitting her full-force.

"_Yumi-san!"_ the man on the other line exclaimed, _"Oh thank goodness, you're awake! Are you feeling alright? Did you just wake up?"_

"Yes, Hiro was watching over me. I'm feeling fine, my legs hurt a little from the glass, but otherwise I'm much better. Thank you so much for your concern."

"_Of course! I can't tell you how terrified I was when I found you in the freezer…"_

Yumi's face went fire engine red, her manager's honest concern and care for her leaking into his voice.

"Well, I didn't get a chance to…um…pick up my check today, would it be alright if I stopped by?"

_"Are you sure you're feeling well enough? If you are, I suppose that's fine…"_

"Yes, I'm alright, thank you. I'll be over in a little bit!"

_"See you soon, Yumi-san."_

**_Click_**

Yumi held the phone for a moment after the line had disconnected before she placed it back on the receiver. She had just made a serious decision. She stood, changing into a nice pair of jeans and a snug-fitting purple turtleneck before walking out into the hallway.

"Yumi-san?" came Hiro's voice from the kitchen, "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes," she replied, pulling her tennis shoes on in a hurry, "I'm going to pick up my check from the bakery. Be back soon!"

Silence. But Yumi didn't notice in her rush out the door. Hiro walked out into the hallway a moment later, an aura of depression hanging around him like a cloud.

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Sorry that it's so short! And for the lack of update! I've been caught up in writing another fanfic with my buddy **_Inkblood_**, so it's been tough to balance the two! But thank you for anyone reading, please review if the urge strikes you, and see you in chapter eight!

**_The Tainted Angel of Earth_**


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